Structural element and method of producing same.



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APPLICATION runny; s. uuuuuuu cZ/zewes: [rave/225w} I Orraiiifarflen gUNITE STATES Patented December 8, 1903.

{ PATENT OFFICE.

ORRA A. TURNER, OF'LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T01 oon AND IRON PRESERVING coM- PANY, A CORPORATIONOF CALIFORNIA.

STRUCTURAL ELEMENT AND METHOD'OF PRODUCING SAME.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 746,411, dated December8, 1903.

Application filed February 24, 1903.; Serial No- 144.880. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORRAA.TURNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in StructuralElements, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide superior structuralelements-such as piles, posts, bridge-timbers, telegraph-poles, ship andmining timbers, and the likewhich are capable of resisting the action ofthe elements and animal, vegetable, and insect life, and especially thedestructive action of the teredo and other forms of ocean life, to whichpiles and structures. used in the ocean are subject. This inventionincludes the combination, with a permeable object, of a newly-discoveredcomposition of matter which is capable of preserving and protectingWooden structures and which will also adhere with great tenacity to ironand other metals forming .a protection for the same and which is toughand strong and not easily affected by ordinary temperatures.

I have discovered that a pile which is proof against attacks of andinjury from the teredo or other aquatic life which is liable to injurepiles may be produced by admixing a tempering substancesuch, forinstance, as bydraulic cement-with a gum-such, for instance, asasphaltand combining the same with the surface of a solid pile-body. Thecoating admixture or composition thus produced and applied will tightlyadhere to the wooden orother pile-body, and the pile thus made willconsist of a body and a tough, pliable, homogeneous, and measurablyelastic coating, whereon upon immersion in water a hard outer surfacewill form, so that the pile then comprises a body and a coatingadmixture composed of a tough pliable inner portion and a hardenedsurface. I have found thatin case a portion of the hardened surface ofsuch homogeneous coating be removed the action of the water will cause anew hardened surface to form on any of the pliable portion exposed tothe water, thus maintaining the integrity of the pile and its ability toresist the action of the teredo or other sea life, and at the same timethe pile is proof against the injurious and deteriorating action of anywater and air coming into contact with the surface of the coating.

The composition which forms a part of said element, as I have used it,consists of abase I composed of a hydrocarbon, a tempering substance,and particles of hard material. The materials which I have usedsuccessfully on a timber subsequently immersed in the ocean- Waterinfested by the teredo and kept submerged for a period of four yearswithout injury or deterioration and without absorbing moisture are asfollows: asphaltum, hydraulic cement, anda substance known as blacksand, the same being a form of magnetic iron.

It is possible that other hydrocarbon gum or other substances of gummynature may serve the purpose as well'when tempered with a substancecorresponding to the hydraulic cement; but I believe asphaltum andhydraulic cement to be preferable. It is possible that ordinary sharpsand would serve the purpose as well as the black sand; but I believethe black sand to be preferable to ordinary sand. I do not limit myinvention, however, to the exact constituents stated, the principlebeing to provide some suitable gum, as the hydrocarbon named, and atempering material, as the hydraulic cement, and desirably particles ofhard material, such as the black sand or any equivalents therefor. It ispossible that naphtha or coal-tar will be full equivalents for theasphalltic base, and I do not limit myself specifically, the broadprinciple of this invention being that thecomposition must be formed ofmaterials which resist the action of the water, and one of saidmaterials being capable of forming a solid body at ordinary temperaturesand a fluid body at high temperatures. The asphaltum, hydraulic cement,and black sand are deemed by 'me preferable as compared with othersubstances which may be regarded as their equivalents.

My invention may be understood by refering to the accompanying drawing,in which I have shown an element as a pile comprising a core and ajacket composed of an incorporated or blended admixture of asphalt andcement forming a teredo-proof external skin.

1 is a wooden part, and 2 an external jacket or skin of the namedcomposition, which in practical use is so coherent that its severalconstituents cannot be distinguished by the eye.

In carrying out my invention a portion of asphaltum or its equivalentmay be melted in a suitable receptacle, (not shown,) and then a portionof the hydraulic cement powder or other tempering material will beadded, the whole mass being agitated so as to keep the materialconsistent and well mixed and preventing the solids from settling to thebottom of the mass. While thus agitating the fluid, the wooden, metal,or other part of the proposed structural element may be inserted to coatthe whole thereof or such portion as may be desired.

The wooden or metal part or the portion thereof to be coated may beallowed to remain in the mass for a few minutes to allow the hot liquid.to adhere thereto or to penetrate in case of wood or other porous orpermeable material, then the element will be withdrawn into the open airand allowed to cool sufiiciently to solidify the adhering composition,then the coated portion may again be immersed in the composition andagain withdrawn, and such immersion and Withdrawal for successivecoatings may be repeated as often as desired until a coat of a requiredthickness has been applied to form the element. The sand or otherparticles of hard material may be applied to the hot adheringcomposition of asphalt and hydraulic cement after the element has beenwithdrawn from its bath in the molten composition and should be wellincorporated with the body of such adhering composition. If more thanone coating of the composition is applied, the sand or other hardparticles may be applied on each coating of the composition.

One immersion may be found sufficient for protection of piles againstthe attack of the teredo. The element which I submerged in the oceanprivately for the purpose of complete test remained therein, as abovestated, for a period of four years without injury, and the outside ofthe coating became incrusted with shells of teredos, barnacles, andother mollusks.

' It may be possible also to apply the mixture while hot to the bottomof ships, boats, and also to other structures to serve as a paint.

I have used the materials in the following proportions, by bulk: aboutone part cement, three parts of sand, and about four parts of asphalt.Ihave melted the asphalt and then admixed the cementand sandwiththeasphalt, so as to incorporate and blend the same with the meltedasphalt, and coated a wooden body therewith, thereby forming on the bodya tough hard external skin or jacket capable of protecting said bodyfrom the action of water and from the attacks of the teredo and otherforms of marine life. The element thus formed was capable of beingdriven as a pile without injury to said protecting-skin.

The cement I have used is that commercially known as Portland cement.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. The element set forth consisting of wood and the pliable,homogeneous, measurably elastic composition of matter substantially asset forth.

2. The element set forth, consisting of a body and a coating of pliable,homogeneous, measurably elastic composition.

3. An element consisting of a body and an external jacket or skincomposed of an incorporated or blended mixture of a gum anda temperingsubstance.

4:. An element comprising a body or core and an external jacket or skincomposed of an incorporated or blended mixture of asphalt and cement.

5. An element comprising a body or core and an external jacket or skincomposed of an incorporated or blended mixture of asphalt, cement andsand.

6. A pile consisting of a core and a tough hard external skin comprisingan incorporated or blended mixture of. asphalt and cement. 1

7. A structural element comprising a core or body and a homogeneousjacket therefor having a yielding inner portion and a hard skin or outerportion.

8. An element comprising a body and an external jacket or skin composedof an incorporated orblended mixture of gum, tempering substance andsand.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 14th day ofFebruary, A. D. 1903, in the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles,and State of California.

ORRA A. TURNER. In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND, FREDERICK D. LYON.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 746,411, grantedDecember 8, 1908,

- upon the application of Orra A. Turner, of Los Angeles, Oa1., thetitle of the invention was erroneously Written and printed StructuralElements and Method of Producing Same, whereas the said title shouldhave been Written and printed Structural Elements, and in the printedspecification, page 1, line 83, the Word naphtha should read maltha; andthat the said Letters Patent should be read with these correctionstherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 2d day of February, A. D., 1904.

[SEAL] a F. I. ALLEN,

Commissioner of Patents.

